Horror Powered By FATE

I have had a lot of discussions with a lot of people over my time about FATE Core. What it does well and what it does poorly. One, almost unanimous, consensus is that FATE struggles with horror because it puts a lot of the power of telling the story and creating the world in the hands of the players/protagonists. I want to think that FATE is capable of doing this. I ran the Demolished Ones in FATE and while it may not have been a purely horror scenario there were elements and I believe they travelled well in the system.

Building a module for a horror game that will be powered by FATE

So I want to put this to the test. I have realised that FATE is one of my more treasured games and I looked up some licensing details this morning and realised that they were really quite generous. I also had the story and settings come to me in a dream and I totally believe that it would work as a FATE setting. In fact, in the dream I had the scenes and settings came about because someone was giving me a game of FATE. I have expanded it all out and developed the core play of the module and I want to give it a test run.

Which is hopefully where a group of you come in. I want to run a game of this module for some of you, gain your feedback and credit you as play testers. Past this initial game I would then like to hand out the draft of the module once I refine it to some GM’s that would test it for me impartially from me and again provide me with feedback. So if you are interested in either of those roles (the initial play or running it after revision) let me know in the comments.

I’m Kind of Interested But What Is It About?

So glad you asked! Imagine if you will a group of researchers that have come together (it is set in the now) to create a building that is completely and utterly self reliant. Food, communications, repairs, water, power, in fact anything you need completely supplied by the building. With the ageing population and the influx of rural and remote people into cities the food bowls are running out of the workforce to keep everyone fed. It is a bright vision for an incredible future. Only, since the sealing of the Bio-Shack as it has been coined, things have gone wrong. Two children died of radiation poisoning soon after the building was sealed. The estranged father is pursuing a court order to open the Bio-Shack so he can say his farewells. One of the researchers has proven to be a saboteur in the employ of a rival R&D organisation and is now under house arrest in a building that was not designed to “incarcerate” anyone. The Project Lead has suffered numerous heart attacks since the building was sealed and though he has flatly refused calling the research off. Finally, the computer networks that were only a stop gap until the bio-organic computer took over has been used extensively from within and no one seems to know why.

As a player you take a role inside the Bio-Shack. Maybe they are a research assistant or the lead researcher on one of the many projects inside the shack. Perhaps they take the role of the security that was hired – or the Doctor and nurse team that is set up to look after the health. Of course there is need for an administration team and a media advisor, not to mention a lawyer or too. There is a pretty wide variety of roles ready for you to play and interact with inside the Bio-Shack. Is the project doomed or can it be repaired? What is behind all of the mystery inside?

If this interests you, let me know in the comments and we will see what we can organise for times to play. In all likelihood it will be played on-line using Fantasy Grounds or another VTT at a time that suits the majority of those that would like to be involved. Thanks for reading and perhaps offering to take a place in the Bio-Shack. Keep Rolling!

Sounds interesting. Also sounds like it could be an interesting setup for a Fiasco game. Strikes me at first there is some potential for Lord of the Flies style erosion of civility and paranoid tribalism.

I’ve never yet had the opportunity to play a Fate game (though I adore the system from a more, I guess, academic standpoint). It’s love to join if I’m able or maybe just sit in if not.